Description
Published by Fair Winds Press, 2014.
Buckeyes are a tradition in Ohio, but we opted to update them. We reduced the amount of sugar, so ours aren’t cloyingly sweet, and added puffed rice cereal for a surprising crunch! While we were at it, we added a bit of cinnamon, too, because peanut butter loves cinnamon. And so do we.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) vegan butter
- 1/2 cup (128 g) no-stir creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegan milk, if needed
- 3/4 cup (23 g) natural puffed rice cereal
- 3/4 cup (132 g) vegan semisweet chocolate chips
- Kosher sea salt, to garnish
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Using a hand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla in a medium-size bowl. Mix in the powdered sugar and cinnamon. The mixture may be slightly crumbly. Add up to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk, if needed, to make an easy-to-form dough that is the consistency of very thick frosting. Using your hands, mix in the cereal.
- Put the mixture into the freezer for 15 minutes (up to 45 minutes), until the mixture is firm enough to shape easily. Roll into 12 balls, using 1 tablespoon (20 g) of dough per ball. Place the balls on the baking sheet, and refrigerate while melting the chocolate chips; they can also be frozen for 30 minutes to help them firm up, if necessary.
- Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips over simmering water, stirring constantly.
- Remove the buckeye balls from the refrigerator. Stick a toothpick into a buckeye ball, and dip into the chocolate mixture to nearly cover, but still leaving a bit of the dough exposed to look like a buckeye. Return to the baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining balls. Sprinkle each with a pinch of salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
- It’s important to use no-stir peanut butter here (brands vary), or you’ll need to dramatically increase the sugar to get the right texture.
- If you don’t have a double boiler, see the alternative method in the Nutty Caramel Chocolate Bites (page 141).